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Saigon is the heart and soul of Vietnam. It's a bustling, dynamic and industrious center, the largest city, the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. The streets, where much of the city's life takes place, is a myriad of shops, stalls, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares spread out on sidewalks. The city churns ferments, bubbles and fumes. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture. Sights include the Gio Lam Pagoda, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, and the neo-Romanesque Saint-Marie Cathedral, Saigon City Hall, Ben Thanh Market and the former US embassy, scene of such havoc during the 1975 evacuations.
Central Saigon is the place to be on Sunday and holiday nights. The streets are jam-packed with young locals cruising the town on bicycles and motorbikes, out to see and be seen. The Municipal Theatre area is the hub for young hipsters. Entertainment ranges from disco and karaoke in the larger hotels, loud Western music in bars such as the Hard Rock Cafe, dancing at the Rex Hotel or experiencing traditional Vietnamese music at the Conservatory of Music. Most forms of entertainment can be found in downtown Saigon a long Mac Thi Buoi Street.
Budget travelers tend to congregate around Pham Ngu Lao St at the western end of District 1. Cho Lon has plenty of cheap rooms, but Western backpackers are still rare here. Travelers with a little more cash prefer the more upmarket hotels concentrated around Šong Khoi St at the eastern side of District 1. Pham Ngu Lao and Še Tham St. form the axis of Saigon's haven of budget eateries.
Saigon Landscapes
Saigon Harbor Saigon River Saigon City Hall
